Stairway to Heaven
by triedunture
Summary: Cloud is torn between two men: his secret love, or his beautiful obsession. Yaoi CloudxLeon, SephirothxCloud


Author's note: This is a giftfic for The Glass Slipper, who is awesome.

Warnings! Hard Yaoi. Some non-con. Distortion of the KHII timeline. Be warned and stuff.

* * *

Cloud hefted his Buster sword onto his shoulder with a sigh, descending into the south end of Hallow Bastion with heavy footsteps. He followed the loud shouts and cries of drunken bar patrons, the wisps of smoke billowing from the open windows, the leering looks from the women in short, torn dresses standing on the street corners. The night was hot and humid, and sweat was beading on his forehead as he pushed past a pair of cooing prostitutes.

"What's the rush, solider?" one taunted, reaching a claw-like hand to caress his bare shoulder. He shrugged her off with more force than necessary and continued on his way down the twisting alleys.

Cloud stopped in front of a shuttered and dark inn; its paint had faded to a dingy grey and the sign above his head was broken and leaning to the left. It read: _Stairway to Heaven_.

The blond swordsman snorted, pushing his way inside. This was no heaven, but it was the closest thing he had to a home. He walked past the un-manned front desk and climbed the stairs to the third floor. His boots padded on the stained carpet with muffled thumps.

Cloud's progress halted outside the second door on the right. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, shoving it into the lock. The door creaked and scraped as it opened, revealing a simple room. A bed, a table, and an oil lamp: that was all he really needed, anyway.

He closed and locked the door behind him, ignoring the lamp on the table. The streetlight outside the open window provided more than enough light for him, considering his unearthly blue eyes could see in almost total darkness, a side effect of the Mako in his body. An experiment from so long ago…

Cloud sighed, gingerly leaning his huge sword against the wall. His thoughts wandered to the past, as they often did when he was alone. But then, he felt a presence creep up from behind, and a dark shadow appeared against the wall in front of him.

Cloud spun around, looking at the tall man in the flowing black coat. His long silver hair and long sword glinted in the light pouring in from the street. He raised an eyebrow at Cloud.

"Sephiroth," Cloud breathed in relief. He sat down on the bed and began taking off his boots. "You could use the door like a normal person, you know."

"I'm not normal," the intruder responded automatically. He ran a gloved finger across the surface of the table, grimacing at the dust he collected there. "Besides," he continued, "I can't be very discreet if I'm knocking on your bedroom door in this wretched place. So I teleport." He lifted his green eyes to Cloud. They glowed in the dim room as well. "Does it bother you?"

Cloud tugged his leather gloves off with a grunt. "No," he said tightly. "Just try and give me a little warning next time."

_I will_, Sephiroth promised, using the connection he'd fostered to speak directly into Cloud's mind. The blond nodded to show he'd heard and gave a mental grunt in return. Sephiroth looked around the dreary room with a concerned eye. "Really, Cloud, why did you ever choose this inn?" He lit the oil lamp with a wave of his hand and a whisper of magic. "I hate the thought of you living here," he said softly.

"It's only temporary," the blond answered, running a hand through his messy spikes. The flickering light from the lamp made his pale skin glow warmly, the shadows in the planes of his face shifting like artwork. Sephiroth moved to the window and watched the movement in the street below, his hands clasped behind his back. People caroused in the dark alleys, shattering glass bottles, shoving against shoulders, seemingly miles away from the small room.

"Still," Sephiroth said, "this place is horrible."

Strong, lean arms wrapped around his waist, and Cloud pressed against his back. Warm lips whispered against his ear, "It isn't that bad."

The silver-haired man allowed a small smirk to play on his mouth, resting a hand over Cloud's. "You have a point." His smile fell. "I've missed you. It's been too long."

"Why don't we get out of this town?" Cloud asked in a rush, clutching his waist tighter. "We can just leave. We could go somewhere, somewhere where they couldn't find us."

Sephiroth gave a humorless chuckle, turning around in Cloud's arms to look down at his deep blue eyes. "Where is this magical place," he drawled, "that the Darkness couldn't find me? Every world has now been touched by that black hand; until the Keyblade Bearer completes his mission, I'm afraid I must remain in the Dark realm."

Sephiroth reached a gloved hand out to gently touch Cloud's face, his thumb brushing the other man's lips. They parted slightly with a small sigh, but Cloud pulled away from him, moving back to the bed and stripping himself of his shoulder armor. Sephiroth tried to open their mental connection, but Cloud's mind closed with a sharp sting.

"I don't see what you hope to accomplish," Cloud said, jerking the leather straps from his arm. "You've been pretending to go along with the Darkness for months now, and we still know nothing about the Organization's plans."

Sephiroth dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to answer him. It was true; Sephiroth had risen from his death some time ago, after Cloud had killed him. Again. But this time, he'd come back with a clear head, no longer controlled by his anger and bloodlust. He'd finally been released from that terrible cycle of fighting, dying, and being reborn as an even more powerful monster. The first thing he'd done was track down Cloud, finding the blond swordsman in the Underworld.

"I've been waiting for you to come back. The real you," Cloud had said. "Is it really you?"

And it really was.

But as much as he wanted to give up his shadowed past, Sephiroth knew that it wouldn't be so easy. He still owed Hades a good deal for his resurrection, after all. And there was the Keyblade Bearer to consider; if this Sora didn't defeat Organization XIII, then Sephiroth feared that the Darkness would destroy everything.

Including Cloud.

So he kept close to the Underworld, trying to uncover Xenmas' plans in hopes of providing some help to the boy who held the universe in his hands. It was difficult, living in Darkness when all Sephiroth wanted was his Light, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

The silver-haired man shook his head to clear his thoughts, leaning his Masamune against the wall next to Cloud's weapon. "Please, let's not talk about this anymore," he said softly. "We haven't much time."

Cloud looked up at that, his brow furrowed. "When do you have to leave?"

"Sunrise," Sephiroth answered with a sigh. "The leader of the Organization has contacted me; he wants to meet and discuss something."

"Finally." Cloud pulled his black sleeveless shirt over his head. "Maybe we'll learn of their goal at last."

Sephiroth hummed in agreement, watching as more pale skin was revealed. His chest clenched at the sight of the long vertical scar running down Cloud's stomach. He knelt on the floor before the blond, reaching out to brush his fingertips against the dark mark.

"Every day, I thank the gods that you've forgiven me for what I've done," he whispered.

Cloud ran his hands through the waterfall of silver hair, combing it back to look Sephiroth in the eye. "It wasn't you," he said firmly. "It was a demon in your body, controlling you."

"I'd never hurt you." Bright green eyes flickered upwards, drinking in Cloud's face. "I'd rather die."

_I know_, Cloud's voice breathed into his mind. Sephiroth instantly relaxed at the comforting feeling of the blond in his head. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the scar, kissing up Cloud's sternum and finally latching onto his right nipple. Cloud let out a gasp, digging his fingers into Sephiroth's long hair and holding his head still. The long-haired man smirked, tugging on the abused flesh with his sharp teeth before laving it with his hot tongue.

"Get up here," Cloud murmured, dragging Sephiroth up to the bed by his hair. "Get undressed."

"Certainly." Sephiroth stripped off his gloves, throwing them over his shoulder. His black boots fell to the floorboards with solid clunks. He unclasped his coat and shrugged it off. Cloud watched intently.

"No wing tonight?" he asked, running a hand over Sephiroth's bare shoulder.

The silver-haired man shook his head, unbuckling the leather straps that criss-crossed his chest. "I know you don't like that damned thing," he said. "A quick spell and it disappears for a day or so."

"Good." The blond man went to work at his lover's fly, his own pants receiving the same treatment. "Hades needs to figure out a better way to mark his debtors. When I had mine, it was always getting in my way."

Sephiroth shrugged; the wing was bothersome, but his mind was occupied with other things at the moment. He divested Cloud of his black leathers, then reclined to allow his own to be tugged down his legs.

Finally naked, he sighed in pleasure as Cloud lowered himself on top of him. Sephiroth ran his hands down the man's spine, pressing him closer. The feeling of skin on skin was overwhelming; so warm, so soft, they fit together so perfectly.

"You are my balance," Sephiroth whispered, his mouth brushing against tufts of blond hair. He cupped Cloud's hips in his hands, his thumbs rubbing circles into the hollows. "Without you, I'd go insane."

Cloud kissed the junction of his neck and shoulder, letting his pink tongue flick out against his skin. "Time is short," he muttered against Sephiroth's neck. He reached a hand under a squashed pillow, fumbling around before his fingers closed around a thin vial. Cloud uncorked it with his teeth and poured a healthy dose of the thick liquid over Sephiroth's waiting fingers. "Hurry," he said.

It was like this most nights; there was never enough time to lay down side-by-side and listen to the night noises, as Sephiroth so often dreamed of. He tried to be tender, he tried to be patient and take slow comfort in their sporadic liaisons. But Cloud always had this sense of urgency, an underlying desperation that drove him in their lovemaking.

Sephiroth couldn't find it in him to complain.

Because when Cloud's hands twisted in his long silver hair, when Cloud's voice growled his name in the small, echoing room, when Cloud's body trembled against his, everything seemed just perfect.

Sephiroth watched the blond sit back on top of him, riding him at a building pace. He reached up to touch the man's face, to try and feel those beautiful lips beneath his fingers, but Cloud grasped his wrists and held them down on the bed. This was how Cloud liked it: always in control, though he was the one allowing Sephiroth into his body. He took his pleasure the way he wanted it, his back arching, his sweaty blond hair sticking to his forehead, his animal cries falling from slack lips.

This could be heaven, Sephiroth thought as Cloud ground against his hips, drawing a moan from deep in his throat.

"Let me touch you," he pleaded, watching Cloud's hardness leaking against the blond's stomach as he moved.

Cloud shook his head, squeezing Sephiroth's wrists in warning. "Stay," he ordered, removing his grip and expecting Sephiroth to keep his hands fisted in the sheets. The silver-haired man did so, his eyes following the other hand to Cloud's erection. The blond stroked himself, keeping his burning blue eyes level with Sephiroth's gaze.

Sephiroth fought to keep his eyes from fluttering closed as spikes of pleasure ran through his veins, his pulse racing under every inch of skin. He could feel each drop of sweat sliding across his body, each humid puff of breath from his mouth, and every jolt as Cloud rammed his body downwards to meet his own.

Could bliss never end?

"Cloud, I…" he panted. His eyes shut tightly as he tried to hold back his release.

Cloud groaned, his hand speeding up as he touched himself. "Do it," he answered. "I'm right there with you."

Sephiroth's eyes flew open to watch Cloud being overcome by his own orgasm. It was a sight he'd never tire of. The blond's thighs trembled violently, his voice crying out in the dark, as he painted Sephiroth's chest with his release. It was more than enough to drive the other man over the edge, emptying himself in Cloud's tight body, that ephemeral name tumbling from his lips.

They were a mess, but it didn't matter. Sephiroth pulled Cloud down beside him, the blond's body sagging with exhaustion. He arranged his lover on his side and curled up behind him, a protecting arm wrapped around his waist. Sephiroth glanced at the flickering lamp on the table and, with the mere thought of wind, blew it out. They would sleep now, if they could. Or, more likely, they would lie there, running their hands over each other's overheated skin. Sephiroth would try to memorize Cloud's scent and whisper small promises in his ear. Cloud would be silent; his thoughts would be a mystery.

When the sun rose, Sephiroth would be gone.

* * *

Cloud dragged himself through Aerith's front door later the next morning, the dark circles under his eyes showing just how little rest he'd gotten. The flower girl clucked her tongue at the sight of him, but wordlessly set another place at the breakfast table. Cloud nodded to her gratefully; if it wasn't for Aerith, he'd probably never get to eat anything decent.

"You look like shit," Cid said bluntly as he slid into his chair. Cloud glared at the loud-mouthed mechanic, but didn't answer. They were used to his silence.

"Did you stay up all night partying or something?" Yuffie joked, spooning up more grits.

Cloud ignored her as well, his tired eyes going to the plate of food Aerith set in front of him. As Yuffie and Cid laughed at something else, he felt the heavy weight of another's gaze fall on him. He looked up from stabbing his egg and caught the grey eyes of Squall Leonhart, sitting across the table. The other man was so quiet, Cloud had nearly missed his presence.

He gave Leon a short, questioning look before going back to eating. He didn't know much about the other swordsman, only that Leon had come from a different world and had joined forces with his old friends in Traverse Town about a year ago. He never talked much at all, especially about his past. But Cloud remembered Leon entering the battles at the Coliseum. The Lion could fight. With that strange blade in his hands, he was deadly.

Cloud was still working his way through breakfast when Cid and Yuffie finished and left the kitchen. Aerith took her leave as well, saying she needed to visit Merlin's house. She instructed Cloud to eat everything on his plate while she was gone.

"Cid's right," she said. "You don't look so good."

"Thanks," Cloud muttered, shoving a slice of toast into his mouth.

Aerith just sighed and gave his shoulder a pat. "Keep an eye on him, Leon," she tossed over her shoulder as she left.

Cloud looked up to see Leon regarding him with that same cold stare.

"Are you going to give your opinion on my appearance too?" Cloud snorted, chewing his toast and reaching for the butter dish.

Leon shrugged, his arms crossed over his muscled chest. "You don't look any different to me," he said.

"Great," Cloud said. "I guess I always look this bad lately."

The brunet man tilted his head as if acknowledging the truth of that statement. "Where exactly do you go at night?" he asked softly.

Cloud swallowed a mouthful of food and slathered his grits with a chunk of melting butter. "I have a place in the south end," he said, trying to be as vague as possible. The last thing he needed was some nosy Gunblader coming around the Stairway.

"That's a pretty rough neighborhood," Leon commented. Cloud shrugged in response, so Leon continued, "My place is small, but I have an extra room. If you can find furniture for it, it's yours."

Cloud's chewing slowed as he glanced up at the impassive man. "You don't seem the type to want a roommate," he said carefully.

Leon brushed his long brown hair from his eyes with a wave of his hand. "I wouldn't normally," he sighed, "but whatever." He pushed his chair back and stood to leave. As he passed behind Cloud's chair, he whispered into the blond's ear, "The offer's open to you if you ever change your mind."

Cloud glared up into those grey eyes. "I don't need your charity," he growled.

"It wouldn't be charity," Leon said. His gaze fell a few inches, seeming to linger on Cloud's mouth. His voice rasped, "At least, not for you."

In the next moment, he was out the door. "Think about it, Strife," he called as he left.

Cloud turned back to his decimated breakfast and let out a breath he'd forgotten about. That Leonhart…sometimes the way his eyes bored into Cloud made the blond feel like he could see everything, every little secret in his heart. Like he could see the nights he spent with a certain silver-haired man. Unless, Cloud thought, Leon was imagining him in something altogether different, like nights spent in the arms of a scarred and soft-voiced brunet.

Cloud shook the thought from his head. Aerith had probably bullied Leon into offering him a room; there was no ulterior motive.

He chased the last bits of buttered grits around his plate and wondered.

Cloud was jolted out of his daydream by a loud thump against the front door. "Heartless!" Leon's deep voice shouted through the door.

Instantly, Cloud was outside with his weapon in hand. Leon stood panting beside him, fending off a gang of writhing black bodies. The Heartless seemed to bleed up out of the cobblestones by the dozen.

"I'll take left flank," Cloud said, immediately leaping into the fray. Leon fell into place at his side, slashing through the enemies until they turned to smoke and vanished. Cloud kept his eye on the other man in case he became overwhelmed, but Leon held his own. His training, it seemed, was military, just like Cloud's. They both moved with artistic precision, each muscle responding to their commands like well-oiled machinery.

When the last twittering Heartless was dispatched, Cloud looked up at Leon through his matted bangs, trying to catch his breath, and said, "You're good."

"So are you," the brunet said with a smirk, sheathing his Gunblade.

Cloud felt something in his chest stutter at the sight of Leon's small smile. He really could be…quite attractive. If one cared to look.

"You want to hunt down some more?" Leon asked, tossing his long hair out of his face.

Cloud shrugged, unable to keep his mouth from quirking upwards in an answering smile. "Sure," he said, following the Gunblader down the alley.

* * *

That night, Cloud woke to the sensation of tapered, nimble fingers running through his blond spikes. He grunted, burrowing deeper into his pillow. Normally he'd be diving for his Buster sword, but he could feel Sephiroth in his mind, speaking through their silent connection.

_Fell asleep waiting for me?_ The silver-haired man gave him a small smile in the dark room.

Cloud groaned and rolled over, feeling uncomfortable after sleeping in his restrictive clothing. He'd come back to the inn only an hour or so ago, exhausted from slaying Heartless all day with Leon.

_Yeah_, he answered, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "How did it go?" he asked out loud. As comforting as their mental connection could be, Cloud still didn't trust it to communicate all his thoughts; besides, some thoughts were private, even for lovers.

"Xenmas made me a rather strange offer," Sephiroth said, pulling his legs up on the thin bed to stretch out beside Cloud. "He wanted to give me a large amount of gold to _not_ kill the Keyblade Bearer."

"What?" Cloud sat up, staring down at the silver-haired man. His brows knitted in confusion. "Why would he want Sora alive?"

Sephiroth shrugged and reached out a gloved hand to gently move a lock of blond hair from Cloud's eyes. "I tried to get him to tell me, but his lips were sealed." He let his hand drop with a sigh. "Perhaps the boy is part of his plan; he might need to use him for some Dark purpose."

"And then?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth's green eyes flashed at him in the dark. "I told Xenmas I needed some time to consider his offer. I let him think I had my own reasons for wanting Sora dead." His lips curled in a humorless smile. "Not hard to do, when that boy defeated me so thoroughly last time."

Cloud nodded, sitting up with a groan. His muscles had been tested to their limits today; it was hard to keep up with Leon on the battlefield. And though he was sore, he found the day had been pleasurable. Almost fun.

"He won't tell you," Cloud muttered, rotating his shoulder to work out a kink in the joint. "Xenmas prides himself on his intelligence. He won't risk his precious plan."

"I have to try, Cloud," Sephiroth said. He reached out and brushed his fingertips against the silver stud in the blond's left ear. The piece of jewelry had always fascinated Sephiroth; his own body healed too well to ever allow a piercing. He twisted the earring between his fingers, feeling Cloud shiver at the touch. "If I can't get Xenmas to tell me why he wants Sora alive, then all these months would be for nothing."

"But why not cut your losses?" Cloud protested, pushing the silver-haired man's hand from his sensitive earlobe. "We know more now than ever before. Let me tell Merlin or someone, and we can let them figure it out."

Sephiroth rose from the bed and paced the floor in agitation. "They'll ask where your information came from, and what will you tell them?"

"The truth," Cloud said heatedly, his blue eyes flaring. "I'm tired of sneaking around, Sephiroth. I'm sick of only seeing you in this tiny room. You've done all you can. Let's just―"

"What?" Sephiroth spat. "Be normal?"

Cloud blew a loud breath, squeezing his eyes shut. _I just want to be with you_, he whispered in Sephiroth's mind. _When will we have that?_

Sephiroth's face softened and he sat back down with a heavy sigh. He combed his gloved fingers through Cloud's sleep-mussed hair.

_Soon_, he promised. _Very soon._

Then he stood, grabbing his long sword from its resting place against the wall.

"You're leaving already?" Cloud asked, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice.

Sephiroth nodded, strapping his weapon to his belt. "I need to go to the Underworld, show my face around some of the more powerful agents of Darkness," he said. "I'll start rumors that I'm actively trying to hunt down the Keyblade Bearer. Maybe that will scare Xenmas into telling me why it's so important for Sora's quest to continue."

Cloud watched impassively as the silver-haired man readied a teleportation spell, the blackness swirling around his feet.

"I'm doing this for you," Sephiroth said softly, his eyes concentrating on the widening portal. "If I ever get out of this hell, it will be because of you. You know that, right?"

Cloud opened his mouth, but could force no words from it. He could only watch those sad green eyes fade away with the rest of Sephiroth's body. In seconds, Cloud was alone in the dank room once more. He flopped back against his pillow with an angry growl and wished for sleep.

* * *

Cloud prowled the narrow streets of Hallow Bastion, feeling achy and restless. He wondered where Sephiroth could be. He had waited at the Stairway for as long as he could, but the dreary surroundings and lingering smell of decay had driven him out into the bright sunlit day.

When Sephiroth had finally risen with his mind intact, Cloud had imagined that his days of restless wandering were over. He snorted softly at the thought.

He paused for a moment to lean against the brick façade of a nearby building. His sword was heavy on his back, a comforting weight. And the sun beat down on him, making him squint as he looked upwards to gauge the time. Only noon.

"You know, you could use up all your energy dragging yourself around town all day, brooding," Leon's dry voice came from behind him. "Or you could do something more productive."

The blond turned, his gaze instantly going to the other man's shirtless chest. His sweat-soaked white t-shirt was slung over his shoulder like a rag. His black leather pants rode dangerously low, considering all the belts that were supposed to be holding them up.

"What do you suggest?" Cloud said, trying to sound sarcastic, but his voice sounded embarrassingly rough.

Leon rolled his eyes, crossing his powerful arms across his chest. "Helping me with a little construction, of course," he drawled. "What did you think I meant?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem the type to tease," he said with a smirk.

"I don't seem like I want a roommate either," Leon said flippantly, striding past the blond. "It looks like you don't know me too well."

"Maybe I'll work on that," Cloud blurted out, surprised at his boldness.

Leon looked surprised as well, if only for a passing moment. Then he tilted his head and asked, "So you up for a little hard labor? Or are your hands too delicate to get dirty?"

Cloud pushed off from the wall. "Lead the way," he countered, wondering if Leon was being flirtatious or just strange.

"Good," Leon said, leaning in a little too close. Cloud could smell the clean scent of his sweat, could see the jagged path of the scar between his eyes. Leon seemed to hesitate, and that seemed very uncharacteristic of him. Cloud opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when Leon finally closed the distance between them with a moan.

Cloud's eyes flew wide open, his hands hovering in the air near Leon's chest. He hadn't expected the kiss, but the scarred man was there, pressing against his mouth with his own soft lips.

_In broad daylight?_ Cloud thought momentarily.

But it was so good. Leon's hands twined in his blond hair, keeping him close and warm. His mouth was insistent; his tongue darted playfully at his lips; his eyes were tightly shut as if savoring some great ecstasy.

Cloud lifted a gloved hand to slide into Leon's soft brown hair. The other man moaned at the tentative touch, the kiss deepening further. It was like nothing Cloud had ever felt before, nothing like…

_Sephiroth!_

Cloud pulled away from Leon with a gasp, his limbs trembling like a teenager after a first kiss. The blond berated himself mentally: Pathetic. Wrong. Weak.

"I…" Leon swallowed, releasing his grip on the blond spikes. "Was it not good?"

"No, I mean, it was…" Cloud panted for his breath, his gaze riveted to his boots. "The kiss was fine. I just―"

"I shouldn't have done that," Leon said, his face coloring with shame. "But I thought you…"

There were a million things Cloud could have said: I don't like men. I'm seeing someone. I'm not interested in you.

But he said nothing. He just grabbed Leon by the shoulders and hauled him back to his lips. Cloud needed to wipe that doubt from the other man's face, needed to feel that wonderful heat again. The kiss was harder this time, a violent clash of tongues and teeth. Now it was Leon who pulled back.

"Cloud?" he asked. His mouth was red and wet from the force of their kisses, and his eyes were questioning.

"I'm…" Cloud sighed, releasing the Gunblader and taking a step back. "I'm sorry."

He turned and ran down the alleyway, ignoring Leon's shouts. He didn't stop until he had weaved through enough twisting alleys to have lost the other man. Cloud slumped in an empty brick alcove and tried to catch his breath.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ he thought, putting a shaky hand to his forehead.

"Cloud?" a deep voice broke him out of his reverie. He stood there in the dark alley, his black wing folded behind his shoulder.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud's gaze snapped up to the long-haired man standing before him in the shadowy alley. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you call for me," Sephiroth said, stepping closer to the blond, "in your mind. I feared something you were hurt, so I came as quickly as I could." His eyes roved over Cloud, still panting for air. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Cloud said, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "I was tired of waiting for you at the Stairway, so I went for a walk."

"I'm sorry I've been away so long." He took hold of Cloud's shoulders, smiling faintly. "I think I'm making some progress, though. The word in Hades' realm is―"

"Should you be out here like this?" Cloud interrupted, his eyes darting towards the direction he had come. Suppose Leon decided to follow him; how would he explain his calm conversation with Sephiroth, his supposed tormentor?

Sephiroth registered the glance. "You're right. It's dangerous to remain here." He offered the blond his gloved hand. "I can teleport us back to the Stairway."

Cloud avoided Sephiroth's hand, hesitating in the alcove. The only time he'd ever teleported with Sephiroth, he'd felt incredibly sick afterward. The cloying scent of Dark power was too much for him.

"I can walk back," he said. "I'll meet you there?"

"Of course," Sephiroth sighed, dropping his hand as if it were some deformed limb he should be ashamed of. "I sometimes forget how unsavory these magic tricks can be."

Cloud tried to think of something to say to lift the silver-haired man's spirits; he hadn't meant for him to feel belittled. But Sephiroth was gone before he could speak.

"Great," Cloud muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. His headache was growing.

* * *

That night, lying in Sephiroth's arms in the depressing little room on the Stairway's second floor, Cloud stared at the ceiling with unblinking eyes. He couldn't sleep, though he was exhausted. His troubling thoughts kept circling around in his mind; why couldn't he get Leon out of his head?

"You're still awake," Sephiroth's quiet voice ghosted into the shell of his ear. "Please try to rest; you've been so run-down lately."

"I _am_ trying," Cloud muttered, shifting his head in a more comfortable position on his lover's shoulder. A stray black feather tickled his face; he swatted it away. "I just can't seem to let sleep come."

Sephiroth gently took hold of Cloud's chin and turned his head so he could look him in the eye. "What's been bothering you?" he asked.

The blond sighed and closed his eyes. "Nothing. Nothing new. I worry about you when you're away. I just wish this whole thing was over."

Warm lips touched his neck briefly while Sephiroth's voice rumbled, "Who's Leon?"

Cloud's eyes snapped open, but he avoided Sephiroth's glowing green gaze. "What?"

"I hear his name sometimes in your thoughts." Sephiroth ran a penitent hand down Cloud bare chest. "I'm sorry; you've said you dislike it when I use our connection without you knowing, but I wanted to know what was on your mind." His eyes flashed for a moment, the cat-like pupils narrowing slightly. "So who is he?"

"No one," Cloud said, turning to face the wall with a grunt. "Just works with Yuffie and Aerith and Cid. I see him sometimes when I visit them. Don't know him that well."

Sephiroth hummed, a low sound that vibrated at the nape of Cloud's neck. Elegant, steady fingers brushed a few stray strands of blond hair from Cloud's ear. Sephiroth kissed the skin there, below his earlobe.

"Whatever it is," he whispered, "you can tell me. You can tell me anything."

"There's nothing to tell," Cloud murmured. "Now please, let's just get some sleep."

There was a pause, then Cloud felt Sephiroth move flush against his back, his arms going around his chest, their legs twining.

"I depend on you," Sephiroth said in the dark, behind Cloud's ear. "Please remember that."

"Of course," Cloud replied automatically, lacing his fingers with Sephiroth's. "Of course."

Cloud's eyes stayed fastened on the wall, and he went one more night without sleep.

* * *

Cloud watched his reflection stare back at him in Aerith's bathroom mirror. Before she left with the rest of the gang to work on rebuilding the town, the girl had told him to clean himself up.

"At least splash some water on your face or something," she had scolded. "You look like death warmed over.

Over her shoulder, Leon's cold grey eyes stared through him like he wasn't even there. Cloud had felt like throwing something at that beautiful face. Instead he'd slammed the bathroom door behind him, leaving the others to their work.

"What am I doing?" he whispered to his haggard image in the mirror. He tried to tame his messy spikes into something resembling real hair, but he gave up with a sigh. It was useless; besides, nothing would hide the dark smudges under his bloodshot eyes.

There was a light knock on the door, and Cloud groaned. "Just a minute, Aerith."

Cloud watched in the mirror as the door behind him creaked open to reveal the leather-clad crew leader.

"It's me," he said unnecessarily. "She wanted someone to come check on you."

Cloud grunted and pulled a hand towel from a hook in the wall, mopping at his damp face. "Was she too scared of how terrible I look to come herself?" he snorted.

"I wanted to come." Leon leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. His short leather jacket rode up even further, the feathered collar brushing against his cheek. "I want to make sure we're okay."

Cloud balled up the towel and let it fall on the sink top. "After what happened yesterday, you mean?"

"No," Leon drawled. "I was referring to the other incredibly confusing and awkward kisses we've shared."

Cloud finally turned around, leaning back on his hands on the sink. "What do you want me to say?" he said with a shrug.

The brunet made circling gestures in the air with one hand. "Just tell me what the hell happened. One minute you're pushing me away, and the next you're…" Leon closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, his scar wrinkling. "You're kissing me like you'll die if you don't."

Cloud stayed motionless, watching Leon open his eyes again and advance a few steps into the small bathroom. Mere inches separated them now; Cloud could nearly feel the other man's racing heartbeat. Or was it his own?

"So which is it, Cloud?" Leon asked, his lips whispering in the air next to his own. "Did you like kissing me, or didn't you?"

Cloud normally prided himself on his self-control, his iron will, and his calm façade. But standing in that tiny room with Leon so close, he felt all those things crumble. He couldn't tear his eyes away from that lush mouth, full of promises.

Cloud leaned forward just a few inches, wanting to taste Leon just a little. Except at the first gentle meeting of their lips, he found he couldn't stop there. He couldn't help but move closer and lick his way into Leon's mouth. The other man gave a choked moan, hauling Cloud to him with a harsh grip on his hips. They broke apart then, groaning at the feel of erections grinding together.

Without exchanging any words, without breaking apart, the two men backed out of the bathroom, moving mindlessly into Aerith's adjoining bedroom. Cloud tore himself away from another searching kiss to see Sephiroth standing right behind Leon, his green eyes blazing, his dark wing stretched out to his side.

"Stop," the silver-haired man muttered, raising a hand to cast the spell. Leon froze, remaining unaware of the danger.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud pulled away from the frozen man's embrace, his eyes wide. "It's not—"

"I'm not a fool," Sephiroth hissed. "Gods, Cloud, I heard your mind screaming for his body all the way in the Underworld!"

Cloud put his hands up in a calming gesture and kept his tone even. "I didn't mean to betray you," he said. "I didn't mean for this to go so far. I swear I didn't…"

Sephiroth's head fell forward, his long silver hair obscuring his face. His dark laugh echoed in the small, empty house.

"You wanted to. I could hear it in your head, moaning for this," he motioned towards Leon, "this trash." He pulled the long Masamune sword from his belt, the blade shining in the light. "How could you? After all that time, I manage to come back to you and you can't even—"

Cloud stepped between Sephiroth and the helpless Gunblader. "Don't hurt him," he said. "He didn't know. I'm the one you should be angry with."

"Believe me," Sephiroth growled, "I am." His hand snaked out and grabbed Cloud by the front of his shirt, dragging his back against his chest. Cloud struggled to break free, but Sephiroth was powerful. The sharp edge of the Masamune rested against his throat, the cold metal making him shiver despite himself.

"You said you'd never hurt me," Cloud whispered.

"I wouldn't. Even after what you've done," Sephiroth spat. "But this Leon doesn't know that, does he?" Cloud tried to lunge back to the frozen man, but Sephiroth gathered his wrists behind his back, holding them there with one strong hand while the other kept the sword steady against his pale throat. "You want to drive me back to the Darkness, Cloud? Fine, let's play that game. We'll see how far this filth is willing to go for you."

"Leave him out of this!" Cloud cried.

Sephiroth ignored him and spoke a spell to break Leon from his stasis. The Gunblader seemed to awaken from the trance, stumbling forward and looking around the room wildly.

"Cloud!" he shouted, his gaze settling on the other two men. "Let him go, Sephiroth."

Cloud felt the silver-haired man smirk against his neck. "Why should I?" he growled. "You're unarmed. He's completely helpless. I'm in charge here."

"Leon, run!" Cloud yelled, gasping as Sephiroth pressed the blade more forcefully against his neck.

"No one's going anywhere," Sephiroth said. "Do as I say, Leon, or he dies."

"What do you want?" the brunet said grudgingly.

The taller man's dark voice flowed past Cloud's ear, making him shudder. "Get on your knees," he demanded.

Leon set his mouth in a firm line, staring hard at Cloud for a moment before complying with the order.

"Crawl forward," Sephiroth said, tightening his hold on the blond in his arms. "Slowly."

This time Leon glared at Sephiroth with a deep-seated hatred burning in his grey eyes. The silver-haired man merely flexed his hand around Cloud's wrists, crushing the bones against each other. The blond choked back his pained gasp, and Leon held his hands up.

"Okay, okay," he said. "I'll do it."

He dropped his gloved hands to the ground and crawled a few feet, his long brown hair swinging around his angry face. His many belts clinked and jingled as he moved. When he was in front of Cloud, Sephiroth muttered, "Now stop. Back on your knees."

Leon rose to his knees, his gaze never leaving Cloud's. The blond looked down at him, wishing he could somehow communicate with him like he could with Sephiroth.

_Please stop this_, he pleaded. _I'll do anything you want._

_All I wanted was you, Cloud._ Sephiroth's mind was a jumble of dark pain and anguish, nothing like the comforting place it had been. _I _asked _you to tell me what was wrong; I would have forgiven you. I trusted you, and you lied to me._

_I didn't want to hurt you like this_, Cloud thought. _I'm sorry._

_It's too late for apologies._ Their connection was severed suddenly, and Cloud felt as if a piece of his mind was ripped away. He trembled with the force of it, just as Sephiroth shook slightly against his back, his teeth grinding together audibly.

"Unfasten Cloud's pants," he murmured down at Leon.

The brunet balked, his stormy eyes flashing. "You sick bastard."

Cloud held his breath as the Masamune pressed harder against his skin. He could feel a trickle of blood run down to his collarbone. Did Sephiroth even notice? Or was the man too far gone to realize what he was doing?

"Do it," Sephiroth snapped. "Or watch him breathe his last."

Leon reached forward, undoing the buckles on the black pants with shaking hands. Cloud tensed as he felt Sephiroth's lips trail down the edge of his ear.

"You wanted this," he whispered. "You've dreamed about this man's mouth on your over-hated flesh."

Cloud groaned; Sephiroth was hard against his back, and his body was responding in kind despite himself. His breath came in harsh pants as he watched Leon pull his zipper down.

"Take his cock out," Sephiroth commanded. "Suck it."

Leon obeyed, gingerly handling Cloud's hardness until it was released from the confining clothing. The blond moaned as the cold air of the room met his skin.

"Come on," Sephiroth urged. "Quickly."

Leon steadied one hand on Cloud's black-clad hip and wrapped the other around the base of his cock. He opened his mouth and his tongue darted out, licking up the drops of pre-cum that were leaking from the tip. Cloud's body jolted in Sephiroth's grasp as if a bolt of lightning had shot through him.

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Sephiroth spat. "Haven't you been waiting for this? Say it."

"Nnngh…n-no," Cloud stuttered, unable to string together two words. Leon leaned forward and took the head of his cock into his mouth, sucking lightly.

"Say it!" Sephiroth shouted, shaking the blond like a rag doll. "Say you wanted nothing more than to fuck his mouth."

"I…" Cloud arched his back, nearly twisting his wrists from Sephiroth's grasp. Leon shut his eyes and took even more of Cloud's length into his mouth. Sephiroth threw the Masamune off to the side and wrapped his arm around Cloud's chest to keep his arms pinned at his sides. He reached his other hand around to grab a handful of Leon's brown hair.

"Say it or I'll crush his skull," he threatened. He tugged at Leon's hair, forcing the man to swallow Cloud all the way to the root. Leon gave a small whimper; tears leaked from the corners of his shut eyes.

"I…I want to fuck his mouth," Cloud whispered, his face turning scarlet. He couldn't look away from the man on his knees before him.

"Louder," Sephiroth hissed, wrenching Leon's hair painfully. The brunet nearly choked, his throat constricting around Cloud's hardness.

"I want to fuck his mouth!" Cloud shouted, his limbs vibrating with his need for release. "Oh, gods."

"That's it," Sephiroth murmured, forcing Leon's head to bob up and down rapidly. "Tell Leon how you want to cum on his face."

A strong spasm passed through Cloud's body as Leon moaned around his cock. Cloud watched as his grey eyes fluttered open, staring up at the blond.

"I want to cum on your face," he said. "I…shit, I…"

"Suck him, Leon. He's so close." Sephiroth tightened his fingers in the brunet's hair, causing his eyes to squeeze shut again. "Do it, Cloud."

Sephiroth jerked Leon's head back, freeing Cloud's cock from his mouth. Then he dropped his other gloved hand to the abused flesh, stroking it roughly. Cloud gave a sharp cry as he came. Long white ribbons of cum fell onto Leon's upturned face, across his lips, dripping down his scar.

Finally free from Sephiroth's grasp, Cloud tumbled forward, falling to his knees in front of Leon.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

The silver-haired man retrieved his sword with a dry chuckle. "Yes, apologize, Cloud. That will solve everything." His green eyes flashed in warning. "Until next time," he said, fading into the Darkness he conjured. A few black feathers were all that remained.

On autopilot, Cloud got to his feet and struggled to the bathroom, making sure to put his clothing in order. He took the washcloth from the sink and ran it under warm water, returning to Leon's side wordlessly. The brunet's gaze was riveted to the floor, and he didn't register Cloud's presence until the soft cloth swiped at his dirty cheek.

"I can do that," he snarled, grabbing the cloth from Cloud's hand. "I'm not an invalid."

"Leon." Cloud watched the other man scrub his face clean. "Please..."

Leon wiped the last of the fluid from his lips and balled the washcloth into his jacket pocket. "I hate that lunatic," he muttered.

Cloud ducked his head, trying to find the words to tell this humiliated man the truth, but he couldn't.

"He needs to be stopped," Leon said, rising to his feet, leaving Cloud on the bedroom floor. "Who knows what he'll try next?"

* * *

Sephiroth stepped from his dark portal, entering the tiny room at the Stairway. He didn't know where else to go; his mind was spinning with the weight of what he'd done. He held a hand over his mouth as he looked around the Spartan room. Just a bed, a table and a lamp, but it was also the only place he had found any peace. The only place he could be with Cloud. Now he didn't even have that.

With a scream, Sephiroth brought his fists down on the flimsy table, reducing it to splinters. The glass lamp shattered on the floor next to his boots, sending slivers of glass tinkling along the scuffed floorboards. It felt good, so he smashed the bed as well, wrenching the bedposts from the frame and tearing the stuffing from the thin mattress.

Sephiroth panted, looking at the ruined room. It wasn't enough.

He drew his sword from his belt and knelt gracefully amid the shattered wood and broken glass. The Masamune was too long to hold by the hilt for his purposes, so he took hold of the blade, letting it slice into his gloved hands.

"This should save everyone a lot of trouble," he muttered darkly, and drove the sword deep into his gut. He gasped at the feel of cold metal inside his body, cutting through skin, muscle, and pulsing organs. He closed his eyes and struggled to stay upright, letting the warm blood flow over his hands.

"Let it come," Sephiroth said. "True darkness. Nothingness. Let it take me."

Then the pain suddenly ebbed and his green eyes flew open in surprise. His body was already knitting itself back together, forcing the sword from his body as it healed around it.

"No," he groaned as the sword clattered to the ground and his wound closed completely. "No!"

He picked the Masamune back up with shaking hands. He could try to kill himself ten times, a hundred times, but his body was too powerful. It wouldn't allow its own destruction, even though he thirsted for oblivion.

"To hell with this," Sephiroth growled, using the sword as a crutch to regain his feet. "To hell with Cloud, with the Keyblade Bearer. To hell with the Heartless, with Xenmas." His eyes blazed brightly with fury. "To hell with everything."

* * *

Cloud made another circle around the small market square. He'd managed to gather enough of his wits to leave Aerith's house; he didn't think Leon was particularly happy with his presence there. Shit, he'd be lucky if the man ever spoke to him again after what had happened. Cloud closed his eyes, trying to block out the images of what Sephiroth had watched them do, had made them do.

He bit his lip, eyes fastened on the cobblestones beneath his feet. He'd really fucked everything up this time.

"Cloud?"

The blond whipped his head up to look at Leon, who had arrived in the deserted square without his notice.

"You left Aerith's so fast," the brunet said. "I barely had time to rinse my mouth out before I looked up and saw you were gone."

Cloud winced, knowing just what kind of taste Leon had been washing out of his mouth. "I didn't think you wanted me hanging around," he said.

"Hey, don't be like that," Leon murmured. "I don't blame you for what happened. Sephiroth caught us both unaware. We need to be more careful from now on, and watch each other's backs."

Cloud nodded, eyeing the Gunblader warily.

"Listen." Leon brushed some of his long dark hair out of his eyes with a sigh. "I'm no good with this kind of thing. You know, romantic things."

Cloud nodded again, not sure what else to do.

"I'm just going to say it," he said, resting a hand against Cloud's motionless face. "I want to be with you. Would you…do you want to be with me?"

"What?" Cloud sputtered. "Are you…?"

"I know you feel responsible for what happened today," Leon said, sliding his gloved hand into Cloud's hair. "But you aren't. And I was really enjoying all the stuff that we did before that freak showed up." He gave the blond a small smile. "Didn't you?"

"Yeah," Cloud breathed. "I did."

"So would you want to continue where we left off?" Leon asked, his mouth suddenly incredibly close to Cloud's ear.

Cloud felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and the feeling had nothing to do with Leon's warm breath. He felt eyes—cold, green, eyes—boring into the back of his head. Sephiroth.

"I…I don't know, Leon," he said, his eyes darting along the rooftops that lined the square. Nothing up there.

"You can't deny there's something between us," Leon growled, his lips drawing closer to the shell of that delicate ear. The pink tip of his tongue darted out and lightly licked the silver earring there. "Don't fight it."

Cloud shivered, and this time his reaction had everything to do with the man standing before him.

"Sephiroth," he gasped. "He might come after us again."

"I can live with that," Leon whispered, pulling back to look Cloud in the eye. "Can you?"

Cloud reached out with his mind one last time, thinking there was the tiniest sliver of hope that Sephiroth, the real Sephiroth, would be there. Telling him everything was forgiven. That everything was back to normal.

But he never would.

"I can live with that," Cloud answered, crushing his mouth to Leon's.

* * *

Miles above them, perched on the edge of a jagged cliff, Sephiroth watched the scene below him with a strange detachment. Only minutes before he'd been consumed with blind rage, but now everything seemed so simple. His Cloud was gone. His hope for salvation was gone.

He would take away everyone else's hope. Let them see how it felt.

"Excuse me?" a young voice came from behind him.

Sephiroth turned to see a boy, barely more than a child, carrying a huge key over his shoulder. His large blue eyes, his soft, spiky hair…it all seemed so familiar.

His green eyes glowed. What a good place to begin.


End file.
